OVER E15K CUT FOR MKHONTO, ERNEST, ‘FELA’

MBABANE – How much is the real prize for being the country’s MTN Premier League Player of the Season?

Is it E15 000 as presented to eventual and deserving winner in Green Mamba and national team Sihlangu midfielder Mxolisi Mkhonto on Wednesday at SibaneSami Hotel, where the presentation and awards ceremony was held? Will the Best Coach Ernest Mavuso of Green Mamba and Mbabane Swallows’ Felix ‘Fela’ Badenhorst get what was presented to them on the day?

Awards

They won the major awards in the elite league but stand to lose E11 220 from their main awards. There is further damage for the players as they will also suffer losses from their Player of the Month Awards. It has come to the attention of this publication that as much as football enthusiasts in the kingdom continue to decry the MTN Eswatini sponsorship amount, which is E6.5 million per season for both the elite and National First Division (NFD) leagues, the awards are lower compared to South Africa’s second tier league. The league receive a package of E9 million with the champions taking home E5 million prize as opposed to Green Mamba’s E1 million in the country’s top flight league, while runners-up get E600 000, which will be slashed.

Eswatini international Justice Figuareido’s new employers Richards Bay FC won E3 million, which was the first increased prize prior to last season which was won by Polokwane City in the 2022/23 season. This also translates to the individual awards of the ABC Motsepe League being mouth-watering and elevated. Also worth mentioning is that South Africa’s NFD teams get nothing less than E500 000 monthly since 2016, while the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) gives elite sides E100 000 yearly. Coming back to the subject matter, Mkhonto was presented with a replica cheque of E15 000 as the Player of the Season;Mavuso got a E10 000 replica cheque while Badenhorst took a E9 000 replica cheque. However, the sad reality here is that this is not what will be deposited into the bank accounts but way less. Why?

Forfeit

Mkhonto stands to forfeit E4 950 from his E15 000 and further lose E1 980 from his Player of the Month Award, which carries a E6 000 prize. In total, he will earn E10 050 as Best Player and then E4 020 for Player of the Month, totalling to E14 070 due to PLE deductions. This also greatly affected Mavuso’s E10 000 prize as it will be slashed by E3 300 down to E6 700. For Badenhorst, his E9 000 for top goalscorer and E6 000 for Player of the Month also face the same fate. He will lose E2 970 from his main award and E1 980 from the Player of the Month Award. In the end, he will pocket E10 050 instead of E15 000 from both awards. The PLE deductions are mainly done for the purposes of paying tax as per the law of the land that any income earned within the kingdom gets taxed by 33 per cent so long as it is above E3 000.

Meanwhile, this applies to all individual awards, more than E3 000, which means even the Best PRO Award of E6 000; Best Referee Award of E7 000 and Best Goalkeeper Award of E9 000 are all taxed. This is also applicable in the NFD awards with the Best Player (E9 000) and Best Coach (E4 000) and Top Goalscorer (E6 000) get to pay the tax fee of 33 per cent as well. Some of the affected individuals asked not to comment while only one affirmed the position on condition of anonymity.

“The law is the law, we can’t change it but yes we do wish that it was not deducted,” he said. PLE Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kenneth Makhanya was also not immediately available as his cellphone rang unanswered while the PLE Football Manager Pat Vilakati confirmed the tax deductions but said the CEO was the rightful person to explain it.

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